


ghost hunting: in which it’s pretty easy to know where to look if you already know where the ghost is

by transzoemurphy



Category: Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: AS ALWAYS ASJKDHSA IM A MESS, Boys In Love, Child Death, Cliffhanger, Ghost Hunting, Ghost Hunting AU, Ghosthunting, Ghosts, Lots of Crying, M/M, Shane is Stupid, buzzfeed unsolved - Freeform, buzzfeed unsolved au, connor bashing, help me, horror movie, idfk I wrote this for the laffs but now we got some kin memories in here too yeet, jkdakhjdahjkkjhadskjhdakhjdsahjkd, tw child death, tw murder, tw: child death, what even is this ajdhjksdajhkdhkj
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-08-27 05:05:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16695973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/transzoemurphy/pseuds/transzoemurphy
Summary: Evan and Jared are Buzzfeed Unsolved’s biggest stans. Jared remembers a supernatural incident that happened close to home.





	ghost hunting: in which it’s pretty easy to know where to look if you already know where the ghost is

**Author's Note:**

> idk what this is and also I didnt proofread it before posting wow  
> they’re watching the whaley house episode btw!!! & the “< “ & “ >” symbols are used for quotes from the video. And oof yeah  
> tw; child death

“So I’m like, Shane, and you’re Ryan, right?”

“Are you calling me a wimp?” Jared asked. “Because if so, you’re right. Pass the chips?”

Evan did, sighing and turning the volume up as he and his boyfriend cuddled on the floor, a blanket draped around their shoulders.

Jared shivered as Ryan said that < Thomas Jr died at eighteen months of scarlet fever > — there had to be a significance behind the number eighteen, Jesus Christ — and Evan wrapped his arm around Jared, smiling fondly. Jared was already covered in goosebumps from the last episode they’d watched, in which a demon explicitly stated he wanted to eat Ryan’s heart and Shane just laughed.

A couple minutes later, Evan paused the video. “So, babe.” He leaned back against the wall, bed creaking as he shifted. “They’ve gotta move back. To that one specific house. Isn’t that creepy? They had to go back to _that house in particular_.”

“I think you’re reading too much into this,” Jared said, wiping sweaty palms on his knees and reaching forward to sip his Monster. “Want a sip?”

“We both know I’m more of a RedBull fan,” Evan said, unpausing the video.

< They’re really just getting boned by fate right now > Jared slammed the pause button again. “THEY’RE GETTING WHAT NOW,” He cackled, smirking with glee.

“You’re so immature,” Evan said.

“You love me.”

Evan placed a kiss to the top of his head. “Yeah.”

< —This is not a good time for them, > Ryan continued on, explaining that Violet Whaley kills herself and three of her family members follow her into the afterlife, Anna and Francis’ deaths taking place one after the other.

“That’s kinda creepy,” Evan whispered.

“Shut up,” Jared responded.

“Shit, they in there, they really in there,” Evan mumbled a second later, as Ryan said, < let’s examine the ghostly inhabitants that are said to haunt these walls. >

“No shit, Ev,” Jared responded, but he curled up closer to his boyfriend, shoving his glasses up his face and leaning closer to the screen.

< Infant cries are often heard in the house > Jared paused the video. “Wait, fuck, stop.”

“Yeah?”

“Doesn’t everyone get that? When an infant dies in the house, you hear them crying? Like a muscle memory thing, right? Phantom cries?”

“No, what the fuck?” Evan responded. “No, no way, do you get that?”

“Yeah, Issac would cry in the night all the time after he died. I thought it was normal? My family heard it too…?”

“That’s fucking creepy, man,” Evan said.

“Let’s get into the theories,” Jared responded, cracking a smile, and Evan smiled back. Jared hit play.

“No, Shane, don’t fucking talk to Violet, you _dumbass_ ,” Evan whisper-shrieked a moment later, covering his face.

“He’s so fucking stupid,” Jared said.

< If you want to deliver us a message >

“ _Shane_ …”

< Whisper it faintly into one of our ears >

“Shane!” Evan whisper-shouted.

< Oh, you son of a— >

< Or something, ‘kay. Make Ryan’s tummy grumble. >

Jared snorted.

< And here we go. >

“No, you fucking idiots,” Evan hissed.

The background music built up and Jared found himself covering his face, waiting, waiting, waiting for a whisper, until —

Nothing.

The music cut off.

< Now you feel sleepy? >

< Yeah. We’re in a bedroom! That’s not fair! >

“Goddamnit,” Jared whispered, shoving a couple corn chips into his mouth.

The video continued on and Jared shivered, the background music now really fucking with his mind.

“The fuck’s a spiritual vortex?” Jared asked.

Evan paused the video and dug his phone out of his pocket. “Spiritual: relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things. Vortex… Vortex: a mass of whirling fluid or air, especially a whirlpool or whirlwind. So I’m willing to bet it’s a place where there’s a whole lot of spirits and shit floating around.”

“Oh, fuck,” Jared said cheerfully. “They’re gonna die.”

Evan hit play.

A moment later, Jared shrieked, “hIS FUCKING FLASHLIGHT!”

“Babe, shut up,” Evan whispered.

< Oh, fuck, dude, I feel very weird all the sudden. >

“What the fuck,” he whispered. “…Dizzy…?”

“Holy shit,” Evan whispered.

< Holy balls, dude. >

“Did you hear his voice crack?” Jared whispered. Evan nodded.

A few moments passed, and: < No, there’s no ghost trees, I’m sorry. >

“You should be,” Evan huffed. “Ghost trees would be fuckin’ lit.”

Jared took another sip of his monster. “We should summon a demon.”

“ _Jared, no_.”

“Jared yes! We could make friends with it!”

“ _JARED, NO_.”

He brought up the idea several times throughout the next few minutes, although quieted twelve minutes into the video and mumbled, “This would be less creepy without the music. Still creepy, but less so.”

“That’s why they've got it, babe,” Evan said, pulling Jared up onto his lap and resting his chin on his head.

< I’m gonna try and talk to him in here. >

“Shane, _no_ ,” Jared hissed.

Throughout the time Shane sat alone in the room, Jared clenched his teeth, knowing something was going to happen. It didn’t.

When Ryan entered the room, he looked much more anxious than Shane, and Jared felt it too, gripping Evan’s hand.

< I’m not talking to anybody, oh sh— I’m losin’ it — >

< Watch your language. >

< I can’t — >

< (whisper) >

< **_AH AH HOLY—_** >

Jared slammed the pause button, still holding Evan’s hand so tightly he thought he might break it. “Evan, fuck, hang on. Didn’t, at the beginning, didn’t Shane say to Violet to whisper something…?”

“Holy fuck, you’re right,” Evan said, and he leaned into Jared, draping his arm around the other boy. “Holy shit, holy fuck, you’re right, babe. I’m gonna cry, holy —” Evan took in a breath and Jared covered his mouth, trying to take in oxygen without bursting into tears.

< What are you talking about? >

< Oh my God. _Oh. My. God_. Dude, something whispered in my ear. >

The whispers were replayed several times, Ryan’s screams making Jared jump each time he heard them.

“I… think we’ve seen enough,” Evan mumbled.

“No, no, wait,” Jared breathed. “There’s like a minute left.”

< Whether or not the house is definitively haunted, will remain… unsolved. >

“GODDAMNIT, RYAN,” Jared shouted.

“Babe, quiet,” Evan replied, placing his palm over Jared’s mouth.

“But it's obviously haunted,” Jared tried to say.

“I know, babe, but that’s how they end their shows. You know this. It’s okay.”

“We should explore my house, BuzzFeed Unsolved style, right now,” Jared said.

“…Will your parents be okay with that?”

“...I think my mom will?”

“What about your dad?”

“Fuck my dad.” Jared pulled his fingers through his thick curls, sighing. “Kisses?”

“Can’t reach from all the way over here,” Evan responded, pressing his lips to Jared’s forehead.

“Babe,” he grumbled, leaning his head as far back as he could. Evan brushed his lips sloppily against Jared’s, smiling.

“Let’s go to sleep. We can go explore tomorrow.”

“But we’ll need cameras and shit!” Jared was wide awake. He shouldn’t have had Monster at three in the morning, but he wasn’t going to admit that.

“We can find that in the morning,” Evan grumbled.

“You wanna sleep, I wanna look for the stuff we’ll need… Handjob?”

“Sleep,” Evan responded, shoving his boyfriend off his lap. Jared huffed from his new home on the floor next to the mattress. “You’re so mean.”

“You like it.”

“Yeah.” Jared climbed back up and rolled over Evan, his face to the wall. A second later he felt Evan curl up next to him, kicking a leg up over Jared’s and pulling the blanket up to cover the both of them.

“G’night, babe,” Evan mumbled against his neck.

“Night,” Jared responded, closing his eyes and trying to sleep.

++

Jared shifted and leaned back into his boyfriend, squinting his eyes to look at the clock. 10:57am. That was fair.

He rolled over and took Evan’s hand, shaking it until he blinked sleep out of his eyes and huffed. “Jared, I hate you.”

“Morning to you too, babe. We’re gonna _fuck some monster ass_.”

“I change my mind. I’m still Shane, but you’re Ryan with Shane’s attitude.”

“That’s fair.”

“Yeah.”

Jared bounced up, stretching and standing. Evan pulled him forward by the hand and kissed the area of skin that had been exposed when he stretched.

“Mm, babe,” Jared mumbled.

“Go find the cameras,” Evan responded. “We're gonna go ghost hunting.”

“Hell yeah.”

++

That night found Jared pacing around the house, huffing, decked out in jeans, a t-shirt, a camera attached to a hard hat, sneakers, and a camera strapped around his chest. He also had a work belt stocked with salt, coins, lavender, matches, candles, an audio recorder, batteries, and three flashlights.

“Babe…” Evan said, sighing.

“Is it time to go yet?”

“Ten minutes,” Evan sighed. He was wearing normal clothes and had a camera attached to a mini tripod sitting on the table next to him.

“We have everything?”

“I’m honestly surprised you didn’t try to put a bag of chips in that belt.”

“We could bring some for a sacri—FUCK.”

“A sacrifuck?” Evan repeated, smirking.

“Fuck off. I was just thinking we should bring some food for Issac. Do we have applesauce? He liked applesauce. Fuck! I should bring chalk for a ritual or some shit. Fuck, shit, heck, damn, heck.”

“We have applesauce,” Evan sighed. “I’ll get that, you go get chalk.”

Jared darted into their room and dug out the chalk, grabbing a can of Diet Coke as he left. He slid into the kitchen, where Evan stood with a container of applesauce.

“Thanks, babe,” Jared said. “Fuck, we’ll need water in case the fire gets out of control.”

“The _what now_?”

“You’re right, we should bring newspaper to start it, fuck.”

“Jared, _what_?”

“For the sacrifice,” Jared babbled, grabbing a water from the fridge and some paper towels from the countertop.

“…Anything else?”

“Cool rocks? Kids like cool rocks. Although he was only nine months old, so… hey, milk! And cloth! Babies like soft things. Bring cloth. Do we have cloth? Jesus Christ.”

“Jared, calm down.” Evan came up behind him and wrapped him in a hug, ducking to rest his chin on Jared’s head.

“I _can’t_! We need cloth! And milk!”

“Jared. Breathe. Should I have the cameras right now for the dramatic intro?”

“Let’s wait until we’re walking there. Record our walk there.”

“M’kay.” Evan let go of Jared and grabbed a hoodie off a hook, pulling it over his head. “Anything else you think we’ll need?”

“…Nah.”

“What time is it?”

“Five fifty five,” Jared said.

“We can leave now. It’s not like they’re expecting us.”

“Probably should’ve gotten permission to set a fire in my parents’ house, but ya know.”

Evan snorted. “Yeah, babe. Probably.”

“This is bullying,” Jared said. He clicked the camera on his head on and pulled a third, handheld camera from his belt. “Let’s go.”

“All right.”

++

Jared grabbed the key from under the potted plant and looked into the camera Evan was holding. “All right, this week on Not Buzzfeed Unsolved, I'm gonna try to talk to my dead brother.”

“First you should open the door,” Evan said.

“Fuck you,” Jared responded lightly, sliding the key in and jiggling the doorknob until it let the two of them in.

Evan reached for the light switch and Jared snatched his arm back, huffing. “There’s an _atmosphere_ here, dumbass.”

“I’ll get back at you for that,” Evan threatened flippantly, winking.

“Oh, fuck off. We’re cutting that out,” Jared told the camera, catching himself toeing off his shoes before stopping. “So. Wanna sit down and I’ll dramatically explain what happened to Issac while sitting on the couch? And you’ll make the sarcastic commentary?”

“Sounds gay, I’m in,” Evan responded.

Jared balanced his flashlight between his cheek and his shoulder, sitting down on the couch and propping it up for lighting.

“Okay, so before we attempt to communicate with the spirit or spirits within these walls, let’s take a moment to go over the history.”

“You sound just like him,” Evan giggled.

“That’s because he’s kin with me. So! This is the home I grew up in and the only house I’ve lived in besides the one I live in with my stupid boyfriend right now.” He smiled up at Evan, who objected, “It’s an apartment.”

“Fuck you. So, I was nine years old when my little brother was born and I was ten when he died. He died at nine months old of pneumonia. Naturally, we all thought that was the end of it. But for years after, we — my family and I heard him crying. We came to the conclusion that it was a muscle memory: our brains were… fuck what’s the… fabricating! Our brains were fabricating the cries due to mourning. Last night, however, I began to wonder if maybe there was a more… ghostly aspect to the experience. Tonight, we’re going to be sleeping at my house, or maybe _not_ sleeping if Evan—”

Evan slapped a hand over his mouth. “We’ll be sleeping.”

“Shh. Quiet. I’m being funny for the fans. We’re going to be attempting a ritual and—"

Evan began cackling.

“ _What_?”

“Your hat just looks so fucking stupid.”

“Ouch.” Jared stood up, adjusting said hat and holding a hand out to his boyfriend. “C’mon, fucker, we’re gonna talk to Issac.”

“Sounds lit.” Evan gathered the stuff from the table and followed after Jared, who tried his hardest not to trip and fall as he bolted upstairs to the empty room next to his.

“This is baby Issac’s room,” he whispered. It felt somber all of the sudden. “He died here. Well, not _here_ , in his crib, but, y’know.” He creaked open the door slowly, flinching and spinning when he heard a noise, only to see Evan standing behind him. “Fuck, babe, you scared me.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine. So, I‘m going to draw some kinda sigil —I don’t know what I’m doing here, I’m just going with my gut and my spirit here. Ev, sit down?”

He did, shifting so the camera he was holding could capture Jared, whose many cameras were sure to capture what he was doing.

Jared dug through his belt, pulling out the chalk, candles, matches, applesauce, milk, coins, lavender, paper towels, and cloth, finally grabbing the water and handing it to Evan.

“Again, no idea what I’m doing," he chuckled softly. “As per usual. I’m just gonna. Go for it? Hope that’s okay with you, Issac.”

Nothing.

“I want you to feel safe with me, Issac, okay? I’m making this for you.” With that, he dug out the chalk and drew an inhumanly perfect circle, tracing a design in the middle at record speed. He was doing it, but it felt more like he was watching someone else. He drew a second circle in the middle of the first, then brushed some chalk onto his hand and Evan’s. He set the paper towels in the middle of the circle, then spread the coins in an equally spaced circle. He poured the applesauce just inside the ring of the first circle, and the milk over the whole creation. He sprayed some lavender on the sigil and placed the cloth closer to Issac’s side of the room as an offering. He grabbed the matches, striking one and placing it in the middle on top of the paper towels. After a second, it lit, and he mumbled, “It has to go for one minute.”

Evan nodded and Jared closed his eyes. “Issac, buddy, if you’re here, we want you with us,” he whispered. “Will you come out and communicate with us?”

After a minute Jared’s eyes snapped open and he poured the water on top of where the fire had been.

“Evan, holy shit.”

“Yeah?”

“The cloth is gone. And — holy shit.” He blew the smoke away. “The coins and the chalk are still there. The match is there. Everything else is gone.”

“Holy fuck,” Evan breathed.

“Issac,” Jared called softly. “Buddy, if you’re in here… let us know? Make a noise?”

He held his breath, as did Evan, the two of them standing in the doorway still.

Something slammed, so violently Jared nearly flinched out of his skin.

“Hey, hi,” Jared whispered. “I’m sorry about. What happened. It's your brother. Jared. And this is my boyfriend Evan.”

Nothing.

“Um.” Jared spoke to the ceiling, as he didn’t know where else to look. “Evan doesn’t really know you, so — you died from pneumonia, yeah?” Fuck. “Um, if you died from pneumonia, uh… turn off Evan’s flashlight.”

Evan’s flashlight stayed on for a good two minutes before Jared bit his lip anxiously and said, “Um, if you didn’t die from pne—” he never got to finish his sentence; Evan’s flashlight shut off and the other boy stared down at it. “Holy shit, Jare.”

“Yeah,” Jared breathed. “Yeah, um, holy sh— Issac? If you died from a disease, turn Evan’s flashlight on. If you didn’t, make a noise.”

A moment passed before a clang echoed from above their heads.

“Um, if you want us to stay, turn Ev’s flashlight on?”

Evan’s flashlight turned on three seconds after Jared said it and he breathed out softly. “All right, buddy, all right. We never really got to know each other, so… can I tell you about me?”

Nothing happened.

“I, um, take that as a yes. I’m Jared Lakota Kleinman. Your brother. I’m nineteen now. You would’ve been ten.” Jared coughed, his voice caught in his throat. “I, um, I really miss you, buddy. I’m sorry we never got to know each other.” His voice broke on ‘each’ and he took a moment to breathe. “Um, yeah, I’ve got a boyfriend now. His name is Evan, he’s nineteen, and he’s one of the most wonderful people on Earth.”

“Aw, babe,” Evan whispered.

“You’d love him, I’m sure. He’s funny, and sweet, and loving, and holy balls I love my boyfriend. And I love you too, Issac, I—” His voice caught and he mumbled, “Ev, say something?”

“Hey,” Evan said softly. “I’m Evan. Um, from what, what Jared’s told me, you were a really good kid, yeah? You liked applesauce a lot, I heard.”

A soft clang came from upstairs and Evan chuckled. “Yeah, me too. We have it a lot. It was Jare’s idea to bring some for you.”

“Yeah,” Jared confirmed, biting back tears. “You, um, you deserved a long happy life, buddy. You should have had so much more. Okay?”

Nothing.

“Our mom really loved you, Issac. And our dad—”

Another _clang_ from upstairs. “…That was _not_ a happy clang.”

A slight thud.

“Sorry, buddy. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Silence for a second, and then a haunting tune began to play, making both him and Evan jump.

“It’s the music box,” Evan whispered, pointing his flashlight in the direction of the music.

“You like the music box?” Jared asked, a little louder now. “I got that for you, y’know.” He smiled fondly. “I wish you could’ve gotten to grow up.” He paused. “…Why are you still here?” Not in a mean way, shit, I just mean — ghosts only stay when they’ve got unfinished business, right? So…”

A gust of wind blew by — the windows weren’t open — and Jared whispered, “Fuck.”

“Five minutes,” Evan said.

“What?”

“That’s what he just said. Five minutes.”

“You want us out of the room for five minutes?”

A light, affirmative clang.

“All right,” Jared said. “We’re going now. And… we’re gone.” He closed the door and sank down to the floor, eyes swimming.

“Aw, babe,” Evan mumbled, setting the tripod down and cupping Jared’s face in his hands. “I’m sorry, baby.”

Jared’s heart snapped and he leaned into Evan’s shoulder, shaking. Evan just held him, further proving his place as #1 on the World’s Best Boyfriends list.

“I’m sorry,” Jared mumbled. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

“No, baby, you’re fine. Your brother died. It’s okay to be upset, y’know? It’s okay.”

“ _Zoe fuckin’ Murphy_ held it together when her brother—”

“‘Zoe fuckin’ Murphy’ had a brother who was an abusive piece of shit, Jared. Your brother wasn’t even a year old. It’s okay, baby.”

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled again.

A clang from upstairs sounded and the two boys stood up, Evan grabbing the tripod. “Let’s go in,” the taller boy said, holding the door for Jared.

“Hey, Issac, I’m back,” he said, wiping the tears off his face. Evan shone his light around and followed it with the camera, looking for what had been changed, if anything. “I love you.”

He heard nothing but swore he felt a soft, warm breeze against his back.

“I love you so much, buddy,” he mumbled.

Evan came back to Jared’s side and shrugged, pointing the flashlight at the crib.

“I think we have to go now?” He offered softly. “I’m sorry it wasn’t very long. I love you.”

Another warm breeze.

“Goodbye, Issac,” Evan said softly.

“G’bye,” Jared whispered. “Now to stage two: sleeping here.”

++

Jared was curled up with his face pressed into the couch cushions, Evan behind him but basically on top of him. He wasn’t sure if there was an inch of space where their bodies weren't touching. Not that he minded.

“I love you,” he whispered.

“Love you too,” Evan echoed.

++

“Well, that was an experience,” Jared said to the camera as they walked down the street. “Holy shit, that was an experience.”

“Sure was,” Evan said.

“Yeah, um… yeah. The question if my dead little brother is haunting my house will remain… well, it’s pretty fuckin’ solved, y’all.”

He turned the camera off.

++

They’d been digging through hours of footage, both pointing out things they hadn’t noticed, when Jared slammed the pause button.

“Wait. There’s something written on the wall.”

 

**he killed me. i wasnt supposed to die.**

**Author's Note:**

> how y'all feel about that cliffhanger huh. sorry.
> 
> yeah yeah find me on tumblr @dont-the-tears-just-pour yall know the drill


End file.
